I remember back in 2010 when passed on Earl Thomas and now we have Eric Reid.We all know he had a great season this year. I was just thinking what is this guys potential, to me he looks like he could be the next elite FS._________________
RAY LEWIS 2.0
You dont Kung-Fu,Kung-Fu is a way of life-
Jackie Chan

Definitely, Reid has the potential to become an elite safety by next season. He's the real deal and exceeded all the expectations. Needs to improve on taking better angles and wrapping up, but most safeties coming to the league have that problem._________________

Definitely, Reid has the potential to become an elite safety by next season. He's the real deal and exceeded all the expectations. Needs to improve on taking better angles and wrapping up, but most safeties coming to the league have that problem.

+1, though I'd also add that he's got to stay healthy. 2 concussions in his first season is not a great sign. Step 1, better tackling form and not getting lazy, step 2, don't get trucked by Mike Tolbert. Concussion issues solved._________________

A small stone may only make a small ripple at first, but someday it will be a wave.

Definitely, Reid has the potential to become an elite safety by next season. He's the real deal and exceeded all the expectations. Needs to improve on taking better angles and wrapping up, but most safeties coming to the league have that problem.

I'd give him by his 3rd year. I think it really takes young safeties about 3 years to understand the nuances of the position IMO. Where the weaknesses are in each coverage, complete understanding of the scheme and how to adjust and identify what the offense is trying to do. Some guys hit right away because they stand out on bad teams(Bryd) but they don't truly impact games until they grasp the mental aspects of the position. Thomas was good his first 2 years but it was year 3 when ppl really started to notice him and his play was truly impacting games. I think there's only 3 "elite" guys right now with Reed and Polomalu at the end of their careers. Weddle, Thomas, and Byrd I would put in that category. Berry and Ward I'd put in that next teir. Reid's ceiling is sky-high though. He's bigger and physically more imposing than any of those guys I mention, yet outside of Thomas, he has just as good of range and single-high ability as any of them. And his versatility as either a FS or SS really puts him in a different class. The NFC West is stacked at FS for the forseeable future, as both Reid and Mathieu have a very good chance of joining Thomas in that elite class in a few years.

Should we trade up and go another Safety in Calvin Pryor a FS that is a hitter and can play SS with excellent cover skills. The year kam chancellor came out I suggested drafting him Hindsight would have made that a great pick. We need a top notch Safety, CB WR and C

I'd give him by his 3rd year. I think it really takes young safeties about 3 years to understand the nuances of the position IMO. Where the weaknesses are in each coverage, complete understanding of the scheme and how to adjust and identify what the offense is trying to do. Some guys hit right away because they stand out on bad teams(Bryd) but they don't truly impact games until they grasp the mental aspects of the position. Thomas was good his first 2 years but it was year 3 when ppl really started to notice him and his play was truly impacting games. I think there's only 3 "elite" guys right now with Reed and Polomalu at the end of their careers. Weddle, Thomas, and Byrd I would put in that category. Berry and Ward I'd put in that next teir. Reid's ceiling is sky-high though. He's bigger and physically more imposing than any of those guys I mention, yet outside of Thomas, he has just as good of range and single-high ability as any of them. And his versatility as either a FS or SS really puts him in a different class. The NFC West is stacked at FS for the forseeable future, as both Reid and Mathieu have a very good chance of joining Thomas in that elite class in a few years.

Yeah, it will probably take him two more seasons, but i just love his versatility. The thing people missed in the personal foul call on Whitner was the great play Reid made breaking up the ball. That was his supposed weakness but that was far from the case last year.

I'd also put in Devin McCourty in the near elite level._________________

I'd give him by his 3rd year. I think it really takes young safeties about 3 years to understand the nuances of the position IMO. Where the weaknesses are in each coverage, complete understanding of the scheme and how to adjust and identify what the offense is trying to do. Some guys hit right away because they stand out on bad teams(Bryd) but they don't truly impact games until they grasp the mental aspects of the position. Thomas was good his first 2 years but it was year 3 when ppl really started to notice him and his play was truly impacting games. I think there's only 3 "elite" guys right now with Reed and Polomalu at the end of their careers. Weddle, Thomas, and Byrd I would put in that category. Berry and Ward I'd put in that next teir. Reid's ceiling is sky-high though. He's bigger and physically more imposing than any of those guys I mention, yet outside of Thomas, he has just as good of range and single-high ability as any of them. And his versatility as either a FS or SS really puts him in a different class. The NFC West is stacked at FS for the forseeable future, as both Reid and Mathieu have a very good chance of joining Thomas in that elite class in a few years.

Yeah, it will probably take him two more seasons, but i just love his versatility. The thing people missed in the personal foul call on Whitner was the great play Reid made breaking up the ball. That was his supposed weakness but that was far from the case last year.

I'd also put in Devin McCourty in the near elite level.

And the thing about is, as great of a year as he had, you can see he was just a step slow in diagnosing plays because he's still deciphering information and had to learn on the fly so to speak. So those PDs should be ints once he has a full understanding of the scheme and trusts his eyes. Playing with a vet like Whiter defintely helped but he has God given ability and instincts and is a extremely smart individual. Once his comfort level within the scheme grows and he ups his on field experience, as big as he is, its going to be scary how good he will be.

I'm still trying figure out how LSU gave up any passing yards or passing TDs with a secondary that included Mathieu, Peterson, and Reid. That's a too much talent in one secondary.

And think about this for a second...Baalke has sucessfully drafted a "elite" starter or All-Pro type at every level of the defense. Aldon is a elite pass-rusher. Bowman is a elite LB. Reid is on his way to becoming a elite safety. All are young and should be Niners for a majority of their playing career. That's a EXTREMELY rare occurence, to hit on every level of the defense and hit BIG. This defense should be one of the better units in the league for a long time because we have cornerstone players at all 3 levels. I put Aldon with the D-Line because a 3-4 WILL is just a glorified DE. The nickel package is the new base defense in today's NFL and Aldon is a DE in our nickel so the fact remains.

Don't forget about Claiborne, he was arguably their best cover corner that year. I really wanted Mathieu in the 2nd round last year and had we got him, our secondary in 2014 would have been AWESOME. LSU is DB university right now and will only look better if Claiborne plays to his potential this upcoming season. Simon will also get a shot with Seattle as long as he stays healthy.

That's exactly why I don't want Whitner to leave. He is the leader of the secondary and is great for the young players. One of the smartest safeties in the game that takes his time to break down film with the young fellas. I remember he used to tweet to Culliver in his rookie year to come to his house so they could scout our upcoming opponent. Of course, money talks and it will be extremely tough to keep him. I'm still astonished with how much he improved in coverage this year. I'm hoping the safety market isn't that great and he just ends up returning._________________

Don't forget about Claiborne, he was arguably their best cover corner that year. I really wanted Mathieu in the 2nd round last year and had we got him, our secondary in 2014 would have been AWESOME. LSU is DB university right now and will only look better if Claiborne plays to his potential this upcoming season. Simon will also get a shot with Seattle as long as he stays healthy.

That's exactly why I don't want Whitner to leave. He is the leader of the secondary and is great for the young players. One of the smartest safeties in the game that takes his time to break down film with the young fellas. I remember he used to tweet to Culliver in his rookie year to come to his house so they could scout our upcoming opponent. Of course, money talks and it will be extremely tough to keep him. I'm still astonished with how much he improved in coverage this year. I'm hoping the safety market isn't that great and he just ends up returning.

Your preaching to the choir. Its no accident he's my sign. He took a lot of flak for his 2012 season but I kept telling ppl that most of the plays it seseemed HE gave up were the results of breakdowns elsewhere in coverage. Nobody listened. Then Goldson leaves and in comes Reid and Whitner has a monster year. It wasn't a coincidence. Not saying Goldson was a bad player for us because he wasn't. He was a helluva good player for us. But they would often have communication issues on the back-end. Even Whitner himself said it was easier playing with Reid becuase he's always relying what he sees and he's constantly commmunicating before the snap.

While everyone was prasing the great year Rogers had in 2011 when he made the Pro Bowl and how great Goldson looked also that year, they overlooked Whitner's impact in it all and how he contributed to both of their play, that year and beyond. Whitner was the single most important FA signing that year after the lockout. Goldson never played with a capable SS, which could free him to be a playmaker. He always had to be the safety net before because he was playing next to guys like Taylor Mays and Micheal Lewis...stiffs who were complete liabilities. With the addition of Whitner, you had a SS who was faster and more atheltic than the FS so you could play some reverse single-high(which Whitner is pretty good at, truth be told) and trust he could cover a lot of ground. After the Cowboys game that year, where Whitner blew the coverage that allowed that big completion in OT, he was lights out the rest of the year, including the playoffs where he was phenomenal. I still say that 2011 season was he's finest work and he was defintely snubbed as a Pro Bowler because of the lack of ints. He was eveywhere, ever game. And his presence allowed Goldson to play more instinctive and take a few more risk. And having capable play by both your safties allowed Rogers to gamble more and get his hands on balls he couldn't as a Redskin. It was like a domino effect and it all started with Whitner and his skill-set.

He may lack in statute, but he's a elite athlete. Check his triangle numbers from the year he was drafted. His broad jump was nearly 11' and that's absurd for a guy only 5'9. 40 inch vert and 4.40 for a 210 lbs safety were not normal at that time. Sure Taylor Mays was a great athlete as well but he was a complete stiff who was just a stright-line athlete. Whitner could actually move laterally. He could turn and run with ppl. And he was a very smart player. We had finally added some speed and athleticism to the seconadry with Whitner and Fangio knew excatly how to employ it.

Having said all that, I really don't see anyway he's back in 2014. The Brown's are defintely going to franchie TJ Ward. That leaves Whitner and Byrd as only viable options for poor secondaries looking to get good in a hurry. This is Whitner's last shot a decent payday and he should take it. He's knocking on 30 so it makes sense for him to secure his financial future. And some team like the Cowboys, Skins, or Bengals will throw a ton of money at him. He's a Cleveland guy so maybe the Brown's take a run at him. They could move Ward to FS and have a nice little tandem there. But with very little cap space and Boldin being a priority, I don't see any way he can return. Not even at fair market value for his services.

And I'll admit I was totally wrong about Mathieu. Loved him as a college player but I didn't see a viable pro position for him. Not big enough for safety, not fluid enough for CB. I'll defintely eat crow on that one, as he looked very impressive for the Cards before his injury.

Goldson definitely plays more of a wildcard style where you just don't know what he will do. However, I don't think that was the main reason for Whitner's struggles in coverage. I'm sure it made him hesitant at times on certain plays, but his problems came in the RZ and when he was isolated with a TE or WR. Whitner allowed a dismal 12 TDs last year and that was mostly all on him. Even with Goldson's risk taking style, we were still #1 in the league in preventing the big play. A lot of that has to do with the scheme we play, but shows everyone was at least discipline for the most part. The thing with Whitner is, his terrible season last year made people forget just how good he was in 2011. So in two of the three years with the team, he was pretty damn good. Someone posted an article a few months ago where Whitner talked about how he made a concerted effort to improve on his coverage abiltiies after the coaching staff ripped into him after the season. I believe a lot of it had to do with working primarily against Davis in training camp as well. If I find the article, I'll post it again.

As for Mathieu? He just has all worldly instincts you can't teach. I'm terrified of the secondary in the Cardinals have for the next five or so years. I hope the coaching staff doesn't pass on Joyner because of the so called lack of size he has. Joyner is going to be a good one in the next level and has a lot of similarities with Mathieu._________________

I remember reading that article on SFGate. I don't remember reading the coaching staff ripping into Whitner though. He voluntarily went to Donatell to review game film and asked what he could do to improve in coverage._________________